A Happy Blending of R&B; Hits With Songs of the Holidays

The Wiltern Theatre fairly glowed with the spirit of the season on Sunday as an array of chart-topping R&B; acts offered a mix of romantic numbers and Christmas songs during KKBT-FM’s 92.3 the Beat Holiday Cooldown.

The hall was decked out in grand tradition for the 6-year-old event’s nearly 3 1/2-hour show, with Christmas trees, holiday lights and greeting card-styled backdrops featuring snowy evergreens and a Dickensian street scene. If that wasn’t enough reason for the capacity crowd to be of good cheer, brief sets by acts such as the teenage trio Divine, dance diva Tamia and heartthrobs Brian McKnight and Jon B kept the pace lively while focusing on the performers’ strengths, i.e., their hits.

Most of the sets ran about 20 minutes, which made it hard to judge these artists’ staying power. There were many shining moments, however, including Deborah Cox’s sensational set-closing ballad “Nobody’s Supposed to Be Here,” the current hit single from her sophomore album, “One Wish.”

Looking sleek in a clingy gray jumpsuit and long leather jacket, the Toronto-born singer put her rich alto through some pyrotechnic paces. But she never failed to project genuine emotion in a physical performance that climaxed with a Jackie Wilson-like drop to her knees that immediately brought the audience to its feet.

Backed by a live band for a set featuring old favorites and new tunes, Faith Evans didn’t have such dramatic moves, but her powerhouse voice reflected the earthy divinity of Aretha Franklin. With no-nonsense authority, the Puff Daddy protegee belted scolding numbers that laid out how love should be in no uncertain terms, but she also showed a vulnerable side with the celebratory “Love Like This.”

Evans got into the yuletide spirit with a funky rendition of “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town” that recalled the Crystals’ classic version and far outshone Tamia’s tepid, if sincere, take on “The Christmas Song.”

Jon B, who also performed with a band, provided an original holiday song full of warm fuzzies about love and family. Though Jon B’s quirky charisma was eclipsed by the more conventionally suave McKnight, the latter somewhat diminished the impact of his steamy bedroom sentiments with a subdued, reflective “Silent Night.”